chuggnutt.com

This is cross-posted from Hack Bend (I was there in a "Hack Bend" capacity) because it's cool and I'm just narcissistic enough to post multiple times:

Last month I had been invited to be on media panel at the Deschutes County offices, as the resident blogging expert representing how blogging and "new media" are becoming more prevalent in news and reporting and such. (The "expert" notion is up for debate, of course. I just do what I do.) The panel was to supplement media communications training for County employees and was held today—and I have to say, it was interesting and enlightening, and definitely something I'd do again if asked.

With me on the panel were Barney Lerten, of KTVZ; Heather Roberts, of KOHD; Heidi Hagemeier, of the Bulletin; and R.L. Garrigus from the Bend Radio Group. I've known Barney from back when he was still Bend.com, and had known of the others but not met them before. All very nice folks, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out they were already familiar with Hack Bend(!).

For the most part, it was as much a learning experience for me as for the County employees, I suspect; I talked a bit about the blogging aspect of things as it pertains to media and reporting and communication, but to a large extent I just listened to the others, all of whom come from more established channels with much more background than I.

And a big thanks to Anna Johnson, the Public Communications Coordinator with the County, for inviting me and arranging it all. Thanks!

On Thursday I was interviewed by Peter Sachs from our local paper the Bulletin for an article on the local blogging community, and today the article showed up—on the front page, no less! Here's the link to the online version.

I didn't get my picture in it this time (unlike the last time, a few years ago, that we bloggers were profiled), but—allow me to gloat a little—I did get the first quote. Which was a total surprise to me; I actually figured I was more incidental this time around, since there were a bunch of other people that were talked to before me.

On a similar note, I was invited by Anna Johnson, Public Communications Coordinator for Deschutes County, to serve on a media panel on blogging and the media late in April. I accepted, and as that approaches, I'll probably have more to say on it.

Fun! Maybe there is something to this blogging thing after all...

Today Shannon writes:

i'm surprised that other bend bloggers haven't commented on this but apparently the fox station is going to start a 10 p.m. local newscast at the first of the year according to our local paper who doesn't have the story online. yea, two news stations! maybe i can stop watching portland and eugene news.

We don't get the paper, and if it's not online, then I wouldn't otherwise see it. Anyway, what I'm wondering is, will the local Foxcast be bringing in new talent, or are they going to poach it away from Z21?